


The Cradle

by Unfried_Mouth_Wheat



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boats and Ships, F/F, Gen, Jin and Azula are cute shhh, Not Canon Compliant, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Sandbending & Sandbenders, Zuko adopts Jet deal with it, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:21:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unfried_Mouth_Wheat/pseuds/Unfried_Mouth_Wheat
Summary: Loosely inspired by Children of the Whales
Relationships: Azula/Jin (Avatar), Jet & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16





	1. It all begins in The Cradle

A bitter sand storm was approaching, he could tell. Pulling down the leathery tarp, he prepared to bunker down. He lit a flame and looked around the small ship. He had enough supplies to last them maybe a week, but no longer than that. He'd have to stop by a port after the storm. He hated going to ports. Everyone knew who he was. What he was. He silently wondered if Lotus was doing okay.

Nobody had seen it coming, at least, no one in the Fire Nation. All of them were to busy reveling in the news that their crown Prince had half of his face burnt off. He had seen some of the articles himself. 'Overestimated his son's power' his ass. A little over a week after that, the sand came. And came. And came. Some of the ocean was still ocean, but that was only near the poles. Sand replaced practically everything. Boats, at least the Fire Nation ones, didn't stand a chance. They were too hot and heavy. The Cradle was the only one that could stand up to the sand, but he was the only one who had the cradle. It was selfish, yet it was too late to do anything now. After all, it wasn't like Father was going to come back from beyond the grave to take it from him. He hoped.

He could hear as the sand slammed against The Cradle. He heard the sound of shifting fabric and his attention was quickly focused on something else. Someone else.

"I'm coming, Jet." He called out, getting on his hands and knees to reach a small door. It was small for this exact purpose. To keep big things out. He heated up his hands and sent a small gust of flame into the keyhole. A few mechanical clicks later and the door was opened. He slid inside and once again lot his hand aflame. The crawl space was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. It had enough room for a single crate and two bolted down futons. In the smaller futon, burried under a bunch of hole littered blankets, was Jet.

He had found the eight year old a month into his stay on The Cradle. He had been near a port, and a rather seedy one at that, when Lotus cried out. Now, he knew Lotus, despite her size, was a very good and quiet girl. She only made noise when she absolutely had to. So, obviously, he had panicked. When he saw what had caused her outcry, however, he was filled with a different emotion. 

An Earth Kingdom boy had latched on to Lotus'beak as hard as his hands could. No matter how big a turtleduck Lotus was, that would hurt a lot. He needed Lotus, as she was the only one making The Cradle move. Without her his life was in the hands of the Spirits, who had proven to not like him very much.

He did the first thing he could think of, and that was crawl on to Lotus and make the boy let go. Crawling on to the back of a giant turtleduck's shell as sand was being thrown at you was a lot easier said than done, that was for sure. When he had gotten close enough to kick the boy off, he had gotten a better look at him. The kid was practically skin and bones. Sand covered skin and bones. The fact that he had managed to hold on to Lotus' bill this long was a miracle. His father would have thrown the kid off, left him to suffocate in the sand. He, however, was determined not to be anything like his father. So he brought the boy on deck. He still didn't know if it was a mistake in the long run. All he knew was that he had gotten attached at this point, and so had the boy, who later said that the name he wanted was Jet.

"Are you okay?" He asked, pulling the trembling child on to his lap along with all the blankets. Jet only made a muffled, yet still very distressed, sound. He held Jet even closer. "I know," He said. "I hate sand storms too."

It would be days before it would be over, he knew. It was that season, and he had already beat himself up over not getting enough supplies when he knew that they would need them. 

He hated doing this but it was for Jet. He lifted one of his hands and skillfully undid his Phoenix Tail. It was what he did whenever he went to a port anyway, but it still hurt. He brushed his hair over his shoulder and, as if by instinct, Jet immediately started to toy with it. He sighed as the boy's breathing leveled out.

"When we go to a port, I'll get you a treat, alright?" He bargained. Jet nodded lazily, as it was still his nap time. He had just gotten interrupted. He nodded along with Jet aswell until he stopped feeling little fingers playing with his hair and heard soft snoring. He let his head rest against the wall of The Cradle. Maybe it was his nap time, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Cradle: The Cradle is a very unorthodox ship lay out I've had in my head for the past two months or so. It's shaped like an oval. The top front part is a type of tarp like thing that can be pulled down and secured when needed to. Although it's described as leathery, I envision it more like canvas on metal ribs that can be retracted. It was made specifically to withstand the new sandy landscape.
> 
> Lotus: I don't know if I've made this clear enough so here we are. Lotus is an enormous turtleduck. The Cradle had no engine or sails so it needs a large creature to pull it. This was heavily inspired by the Manatee Whale that we see in The Beach, and also the big pig from Seven Deadly Sins.
> 
> Children of the Whales: A Netflix original anime based off of a manga. I watched the entire first season a year ago yet as far as I'm aware it hasn't updated yet. A lot of it stuck with me, but mostly the element that is the entire world is an ocean of sand. I wrote a rip off of that story but threw it away. Here I am hijacking the idea again but leaving out as many of the other plot points from it out.
> 
> Phoenix Tail: I tried. I really tried to find out what Zuko's Ponytail is called, but I got no straight answers. I've seem this be used in other fics as well as it being called a Phoenix Plume or simply a top knot. I actually really like the term Phoenix Plume and may change the wording to it in the future, but for now I'm sticking with tail as the other Canonical hairstyle that is used in the Water Tribes is called a Wolf Tail. Plus I like the imagery of a Phoenix's long flowing tail for Zuko's hair better in particular
> 
> Character ages: While not addressed as of yet, Zuko is 14 while Jet is 8. I've had the idea of a teenage Zuko taking care of a kid Jet for a long time now and I've already gone against so much in Canon as of this point I figured I'd just add this in as well! 
> 
> Please be sure to give me feedback, as this will be my most plot and world building heavy fic yet and Spirit's knows I'll need all the reassurance I can get. Thank you for reading!


	2. Mornings on The Cradle

There was no light shining in his face to tell him to wake up. He could still feel the sun's blissful warmth, but that was only through his ties with it being a Fire Bender. Or an Ash Maker. Or a Spark Rock. Or whatever they were being called now. No, it wasn't Agni's blessing that woke him, but rather the emptiness he felt in place of what was Jet in his arms. Getting up to quickly was his mistake, however. After having practically blown his brains out by slamming his head against The Cradle's short ceiling, he was definitely not in the best of spirits.

Looking around as best he could with his tired and confused eye, he saw movement. The only living things on this ship was him and Jet. He leaned back and waited for the rest of his body to wake up, while absentmindedly running his fingers along the edge of the bandage.

He had gotten the bandage a year ago, for his, oh what would be the least painful word here, wound. He knew he didn't need it anymore, but in the rare times he could see his reflection, he saw the edges of an angry red scar. And he was scared of it. And he was most certainly sure that Jet would be scared of it too, and he absolutely refused to add to that kids list of fears.

He was relaxed until he heard the tell tale sign of thunder. Now, he didn't particularly have anything against regular storms, but for now to happen in the middle of a sand storm as well, he couldn't say the Spirits were with him.

The sand was always rubbing against itself and becoming smaller and smaller grains. Not only did that make it a near impossible feat to keep the sand out, whenever it rained the whole thing became more like mud ocean, and he would have to spend hours upon hours hours picking the stuff out of Lotus' feathers and by the end of it his hands were so covered with mud he might as well have bricks at the end of his arms. 

Another crack of thunder and his head was slammed against the wall of the ship.

"Okay, I'm up." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. He list a flame in his palm and sent it through a small pipe. Even he wasn't quite sure about all the workings of The Cradle. He did, however, know that when he did this the lanterns around the crawl space lit up. Jet made a disgruntled noise as he rubbed his eyes. "Sorry." He muttered. Jet glared at him with squinty eyes before going back to what he had been doing, which consisted of attempting to patch up a hole in one of his shirts. Key word, attempting. Neither of them were particularly good at sewing, but damn it if they weren't trying when they did. He crawled over to the crate and unlatched it, pulling out two bowls.

"Stay here." Jet only stuck out his tongue. "What a brat." He scowled as he went through the small door. It was half hearted at most. 

Unlike the crawl space, the deck was lit up by only one lantern, and a very dull one at that. He grabbed at a bag and a jar. He thought a moment before knocking against The Cradle's wall three times. Lotus called back three times. Good. He slipped back in, holding the precious cargo close to his body. Sometimes he just had to make sure she was doing okay. The Cradle was small. It was a crucial part of it's design. It was also the biggest draw back. 

Being small meant it was able to move through the sand in a way real ships simply couldn't. Being small meant being trapped with very little space to think. If he didn't have Lotus and Jet, he was sure that he would have lost it by now. People had banded together after the sand came. Those who didn't were no longer with them. He prayed to Agni that Azula was safe. He knew it was foolish. Azula was cleaver. She'd have figured something out by know, he was sure. Something hurt about that thought. While he hoped for her safety, he doubted she ever thought of him. Maybe that was for the best. He stopped thinking about it when he smelt something burning. 

•••

"Feel like talking today?" He asked, taking a bite of the, just barely, scorched rice. Jet shook his head no. "Is it because I burnt the rice?" A nod. "You little jerk." He smiled and Jet snickered. 

Jet wasn't that much of a talker on somedays. That was fine. He understood. Somedays it was just a little too much to ask, a voice that doesn't feel like it has anything good to say. How could he not understand? He had lived like that for thirteen years. He set down his bowl and crawled behind Jet as he was working on a hunt of salted meat and a dried vegetable of some sort. He felt around for a moment before he found the ribbon. He brought it up to the light to make sure it was the right one. Sure enough, it was Earth Kingdom green.

"Hold still." He said. Obviously, Jet didn't listen. He was still able to pull the child's hair back and tie it up into a top knot. He knew that Jet would pull it out later, but the one time he didn't tie up Jet's hair, Jet had a fit. It was just something they did. Once the ribbon was secure, Jet turned around and pulled loosely at his hair. He chuckled. "Yes, yes, it's going into the Phoenix Tail again." He said, punctuating his statement by pulling out his own ribbon. Jet made a face. "Pout all you want, it's going up." He said. Jet huffed.

•••

"Are you worried about Lotus?" He asked as another pulse of thunder made the boy flinch. Jet nodded. "I checked on her this morning. She's a strong turtleduck." He reassured. After that first and rather rude encounter, Jet and Lotus had grown a bit of a friendship. Considering the fact that turtleducks, generally, don't swim through giant expanses of sand, he also felt the same concern. "Do you want to know why she's so big?" It was a story he had told plenty times before. Every time Jet perked up with intrigue. Most likely because he changed the story every time. Jet rummaged through a pile of blankets before finding what he wanted and shuffling over to Zuko's futon. So what if he had gotten Jet a plush turtleduck? That was an essential for story time as anyone would tell you.

"Now, remember, this is some very secret information. Can I trust you not to tell another soul?" He asked. He had gotten rather good at embellishing his tales. Jet nodded rapidly. "Swear on your honor!" It's been a year, he was allowed to joke about it. Jet swore, however silently he may, and got closer. "Lotus is actually hundreds of years old," He whispered. "Maybe even millions. Of course, if you ask her about it she'll lie because turtleducks never reveal their real age as you know. Now, turtleducks aren't supposed to eat bread, but we feed it to them anyways, right? Well here's the thing, when Lotus was only eighty five years old," A chuckle from Jet. "She broke into a bakery and ate all the bread in there. Then, she grew. And grew. and kept on growing. That's why you should never feed turtleducks bread. They'll grow too big to fit in ponds or lakes." He explained. Jet's face scrunched up. 

"What?" He asked, dramatically putting his hand on his chest. "Do you think I'm lying?" Jet smirked and nodded. "Oh! Oh! So this is what we've come to! I can't believe it! You really think I'm lying to you?" That got a full laugh out of the eight year old. "Maybe this will change your mind." He said creeping closer. Jet looked apprehensive but didn't have time to escape when Zuko yelled "Sneak attack!"

Jet had set up rules, mainly no attacking. That didn't include tickle attacks, now did it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko's Story: The story that Zuko tells is from what I know about goldfish, turtles, and also a warning! Goldfish, when fed regularly and given the proper habitat, can grow giant! Many animals in the Avatar world are already big, and although turtleducks are in no way related to goldfish, I figured Zuko could have taken some inspiration. Turtles are well known to live for massive time spans. I figured turtleducks would too. Bread is actually very bad for duck's digestive system! If Lotus get's too big, she wouldn't be able to pull The Cradle. This is Zuko's cleaver way to discourage Jet from giving her treats


	3. A lullaby far from The Cradle

The ship was busted, broken and battered. Sand was leaking in through every crevice, as sand does. A blast of flame turned it to glass. Glass that quickly shattered. More sand poured in. She cursed. Glass, even if made by the finest of craftsmen, which she was not, wouldn't hold up against the accursed sand. Sand wasn't forgiving.

She looked at her hands. They weren't too burned. She'd risk it. 

She placed he hands on the sides of the hole, gripping the metal as tightly as she allowed herself. Then, she heated her hands. The fire burned hot. Hot enough to turn the steel red. Then orange. Then white. She pulled the molten steel together, making sure it was sealed as properly as possible. She extinguished the flame and quickly, but not desperately, moved to a bucket. The water that it contained was more like mud or sludge, but it was her only option and she knew when to accept what she was given. He shoved her hands into the bucket, steam rising from it as she did so. Pulling them out of the murky water, she inspected the damage. Obviously they were burnt, but she figured once she obtained proper treatment she'd be fine.

•••

Clunking that wasn't part of the ships normal array of broken sounds came from below the deck. In an instant she was down there, torch in hand as Fire Bending wasn't too great of an idea as of right now. She moved it slowly around the dark area. She hadn't exactly had time to refill the oil lamps as she was escaping. She hated that word. Escaping. It was what cowards did, and she wasn't a coward. She elected to ignore the fact that she was currently in Earth Kingdom peasant robes. She saw the movement from the corner of the illuminated area and zeroed in. The torch grew brighter and she could make out scales and fur. She scowled. Of course it was a pest.

With lightning fast reflexes she snatched the creature by it's tail, hand stinging slightly. It didn't look to be diseased, thank Agni, but that didn't change the fact that it had her food in it's mouth. It's eyes were slits in the torchlight. She ripped the gnarled piece of dried meat out of the creatures mouth. It hissed. She hissed right back.

She was tempted to throw the thing back into the sand. In fact, she had been standing on the deck, holding it by the scruff of it's furry yet scaly neck. And yet, she didn't. It was quite odd and completely irrational. But she didn't want to be alone. Pathetic.

It's name was Ursa. She refused to acknowledge the name choice. She was rather good not acknowledging what was right in front of her.

"If you're going to stay here, you're going to need to get this into your tiny brain, if you so have one." She said, glaring at the tiny creature. "You are not to interrupt me or steal from me. I will not tolerate thief's on my ship." The creature meowed. "And no talking back." It's tail flicked.

•••

Ursa refused to leave her shoulder as she threw up her hood and stepped off of the ship. It had a name, The Wani, but it was old and ugly and didn't deserve any respect from her. The hood hid her top knot well. She cursed the spirits. The Fire Nation had been hit by the sand the most heavily at first, which gave rise to an ambush. It was either hide or die, and she had no intentions of dying just yet. It hurt to hide her hair, but that was better than taking it down. She hated making sacrifices.

"You're back!" Jin said cheerfully. She cast the girl a glare, but stopped by her stand regardless. Jin pushed a small bag across the wooden surface, a bag that she had long since learned was filled with coins. "Sorry it's not as much as usual. Not too many people interested in tea right now." She joked.

"Why? What to you intend to gain by doing this?" She asked, not for the first time. Jin just smiled.

"What to you intend to lose?" Jin answered, not for the last time. She begrudgingly takes the bag, just as she did all the other times before. She was weird, this Jin girl. She had shown up at the port a few months ago, yet had already become a staple for her routine. What went from going to the port once a month became going to the port once every three weeks. Now it was every two weeks. Jin was the one who had told her to wear the hood.

"Be careful." She had called to him her first time in the port. "Lookin a little Matchstick like with that." She had said, gesturing to her top knot. She had scowled when the girl slid over a hooded cloak. "It'll help with the sand, too." 

"I'm not looking to buy."

"It's on me." She swiped the green cloth and hastily threw it on. Jin had smiled sincerely. Azula knew she was. She was a people person.

Jin knew her name. She didn't know how Jin got it, as she never told her. "I have sources." Jin had said. She could appreciate that.

"Oh! Who's this!" Jin cooed. 

"Her name's Ursa, and she's an absolute brat." Jin chuckled. Ursa purred. "Well she certainly seems to like you." She grumbled, looking out to the sun. It was low in the sky, grazing the horizon. Even Agni's spirit would be buried in the sand.

"I have that effect on people." Jin chuckled but it just left Azula confused. She hadn't meant people. "Oh, your ship looks pretty busted."

"You think?" She snapped.

"Want me to help fix it?" 

"It's beyond repair."

"With that attitude it is."

Jin didn't know what she was doing. Neither did Azula. Maybe that was okay.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Creature: Tumblr wanted cats and lizards. So a lizardcat was the obvious choice. I imagine lizardcats would be rather good at living in the sand, so they've become a bit of a common problem.
> 
> Jin: Ba Sing Se is basically blocked off by the sand. Many residents have moved out, and now make a living off of the ports. Jin is one of these people. Her family is still in Ba Sing Se. She sells tea but also carries a quite a few random oddities. She, as said, has sources.


End file.
